Border Crossing
It was the summer of 1989 I think, before the fall of communism in
the Soviet Union. I was working as a television photojournalist for a
TV station in Oklahoma City. We were traveling to the Soviet Union
with about 150 Oklahoma high school football players and their
parents, coaches, officials, and various other supporters to cover
the first ever American football games played on Soviet soil. We had
been in the Soviet Union for two weeks and had played three games in
Moscow, Leningrad, and Tallinn, Estonia We were headed home at last.
We had been scheduled to leave via train, but through some "snafu" we
ended up on buses for our trip back to Helsinki and our Finair flight
back to the states. When we finally reached the border, we were all
tired and hot and just wishing to be home.
The border crossing was an intimidating looking complex of guard
towers and fences all guarded by young men (many not older than the
football players themselves) with automatic weapons in hand. We had
to get off the buses and unload all the gear (we brought everything
including goal posts) for inspection and wait while the paperwork was
completed.
Eventually, a football was brought out to toss around while we passed
the time. Even the menacing looking guards lightened up a little and
joined in. When all was said and done, we boarded the buses and
crossed the border.
It was an interesting moment. The mood was tense and quiet as we
watched the guard towers pass by our windows and I remember thinking
how remote and forbidding the country-side looked, a dense forest
full of tall trees and no scenery to speak of. But then, as we
rounded a curve and we entered Finland the forest opened up and the
sun shone and we could feel a weight lift from our spirits. The
passengers on our bus let out a spontaneous cheer. The country-side
looked beautiful with nicely kept farms scattered amongst the rolling
hills with clean and seemingly fresh painted buildings and barns. And
we all knew we were again breathing the air of freedom.
Peace,
Gary
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